ԹϺ researchers publish key study to conserve bird diversity in the Neotropics
It is estimated that nearly 30% of Neotropical bird species are in decline or have been classified as at high risk of extinction, according to global and national assessments.
Scientists from the Latin America and the Caribbean team at the ԹϺ, have published a new study in the journal Scientific Data, making publicly available validated occurrence records and distribution maps for 713 bird species of conservation concern in the Neotropics. This effort provides a robust scientific foundation to support the development of future species distribution models and to strengthen ongoing monitoring and conservation initiatives, such as the.
The Neotropical region is home to approximately 4,600 bird species, representing nearly 41% of global avian diversity. Despite this extraordinary richness, the region is undergoing rapid habitat loss and degradation, leading to a significant decline in biodiversity. Nearly 30% of Neotropical bird species are experiencing population declines or have been categorized as being at high risk of extinction, according to global and national assessments. “Establishing strategic conservation efforts to safeguard Neotropical birds has become a critical priority—and doing so requires a solid foundation of reliable information,” says Jhan C. Carrillo-Restrepo, spatial data consultant at ԹϺ and lead author of the study
In light of these challenges, having accurate information on species distributions is essential to guide effective conservation decisions. This requires high-quality occurrence data as a baseline for generating reliable maps. To meet this need, the research team implemented a rigorous protocol to flag uncertain or outlier records from the citizen science platform eBird (Figure 1), and manually validated over 50,000 records (approximately one-quarter of those ultimately used). “Over a period of more than a year and a half, we carefully reviewed every flagged record one by one, assessing factors such as ease of species identification, photographic or audio evidence, detailed descriptions, and the observer’s experience, to determine the validity of each record,” explains Carrillo-Restrepo. This unparalleled effort has produced a highly curated dataset that will serve as a foundation for future species mapping efforts.
The validated records served as input for applying a geospatial mapping workflow—previously published by one of the study’s co-authors—to build Area of Habitat (AOH) maps (Figure 2). “AOH maps delineate suitable habitats within each species’ known range, incorporating their elevational and habitat preferences. This provides a more realistic approximation of the areas the species actually occupy,” explains Jorge Velásquez-Tibatá, Science Director for the Latin America and the Caribbean team and senior author of the study.
He also adds “This transparent mapping methodology facilitates the incorporation of expert feedback and enables meaningful comparisons with similar efforts led by organizations like BirdLife International” (Figure 3). As a result, the study achieved substantial improvements over previous maps for 94% of the species evaluated.
The applicability of this validated occurrence records and AOH maps is broad, providing a solid foundation for future species distribution models and for assessments of natural history, extinction risk, habitat threats, and strategic conservation investments. Notably, these maps served as a guiding input for systematic conservation planning analyses developed for the Conserva Aves initiative, which is catalyzing the creation of over 100 new local protected areas across Latin America, covering more than 5 million acres ().
“Access to high-quality, expert-validated data is a critical step in enabling concrete conservation actions in the region” says Sebastián K. Herzog, Director of Protected Areas strategy for the Latin America and the Caribbean team and co-author of the study. “We hope that this dataset not only strengthens efforts like Conserva Aves, but also serves as an open and trustworthy resource for governments, organizations, and communities working to conserve birds and their habitats throughout the region.”
“This project highlights how the synergy between citizen science and academic research can lead to powerful tools for protecting the feathered treasures of the Neotropics. We are deeply grateful to the birding community whose data contributions to the eBird platform made this work possible,” says Daniela Linero-Triana, co-author of the study.
, designed to be readily accessible for scientists, decision-makers, organizations, and communities committed to safeguarding biodiversity. “After all, when you build on open data, it just makes sense to share the results openly as well”, concludes Velásquez-Tibatá.
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